Feed & Additive Magazine Issue 22 November 2022

ARTICLE 78 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE November 2022 SECURING FEED INTAKE: THE LAST GENERATION TECHNOLOGIES “It is important to stimulate the consumption of solid feed in lactating piglets. This early feeding appears to be vital for good post-weaning performance. It is therefore essential to find strategies that initiate early feed intake, to improve the level of consumption and develop more robust piglets. New concepts have recently emerged to secure feed intake, reduce health problems, and improve animal welfare.” TRANSITION & WEANING: A MAJOR CHALLENGE FOR FARMERS Nowadays, piglets are weaned and exposed to solid feed at an early age in an effort to increase litter numbers and productivity. However, early weaning is often associated with high stress and can lead to poor growth, intestinal disorders, and other problems. Two of the major challenges faced by piglets at weaning are separation from the sow and switching from liquid to solid feed at a time when the young animal's physiology and immune system are still developing. Due to the new environment and the change in feed, the piglets are under a lot of stress and their feed intake drops significantly. Not only can it take days for piglets to recover, it can compromise future growth, lead to a heterogeneous litter with a higher proportion of so-called “weak” piglets and negatively affect piglet health. Indeed, reduced feed intake not only limits the amount of nutrients ingested by young piglets, but also depletes the gut of nutrients at a time when its development is essential. When intestinal development is impaired, nutrient absorption is sub-optimal and weaned piglets are more susceptible to disease (diarrhoea, etc.). In addition, weaning can have various impacts on the behavior of young piglets: it can, for example, increase the appearance of harmful behaviors (biting, etc.). These are typical behaviors observed after weaning, which reflect welfare problems and their consequences on farm productivity. In summary, when piglets are stressed at weaning, their feed intake is reduced, leading to slower gut maturation, and therefore not only leading to delayed and heterogeneous growth, but also to health and welfare issues that have all impact agricultural productivity. STIMULATING POST-WEANING CONSUMPTION: THE LATEST INNOVATIONS It is important to stimulate the consumption of solid feed in lactating piglets. This early feeding appears to be vital for good post-weaning performance. It is therefore essential to find strategies Dr Stéphanie Ladirat R&D Director NUQO

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTUxNjkxNQ==